Guest Post: Compartments
It is that time of year, again. I wake up to a new day, check the calendar, an event is coming up… Diwali, Valentine’s day, Halloween… As social invites and notifications come in, I dig up the box compartmentalized away, with the last time a similar decision had to be made. In an effort to figure out my stance on whether or not to participate in activities that somehow conflict with what I’ve been taught, I look inside this box and see a whirlpool of thoughts and feelings fuelled by google search results and core memories.
Along with FOMO, I recognize Guilt and Confusion among the contents of this box. This sight tells me that something is missing, what could be missing? Could it be the explanation to why some days are more mainstream than others? Who or what decides this is the day everyone is to recognize the name this day is given? How come some corporations support specific dates the most? What does it really all mean? How come days like Mawlid An-Nabawi aren’t as popular as Christmas? Am I responsible for making it known certain days are special to me?
Before my brain generates more questions about the state of the world we live in and our role in it, I wonder if this is the best use of anybody’s time. I think about the privilege of existing in a place with the freedom to choose how time is spent, which could be a daunting task for anybody who cares about the passing of time, because with freedom and privilege come responsibility. The more time spent looking at the open box, the more I realize that it is me who visualizes the insides of the box and creates meaning of what’s observed.
Right when I’m about to close the box, I REMEMBER SOMETHING! Since I’m the one interpreting the answers, I can come up with gratifying solutions. With the right approach it is possible to make the best out of every situation and turn odds into favourable conditions. For example, once a year, a widely recognized occasion causes crowds of children and families to visit me at my doorstep. At least this could be is a chance to meet and interact with people from my neighbourhood, at most it could be a chance to dress up as a tooth, and put on a captivating educational show about oral health.
With that thought I close up the box of endless possibilities, recognizing that they will remain possibilities without opportune action. Doesn’t matter if we’re thinking inside the box or outside of it, as long as we are thinking and making the best of our circumstances.
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Image by the Packaging Company.